Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-25

/ (ActIliNu W tic tult duu uiu nOb dt-
tempt to put the entertaining novel in
stage form.
The first night of "As In Looking
Glass was made the event of the sea
son by one of those queer and mystic
nous DEGREES that govern New York
life. A week before the event every
body fell 10 talking about the produc-
ton, and as the time approached the
demand for seats became rabid and
nervous Big prices were paid. An
enormous audience was present.
Among the people were languid and
msthetically dressed women without
hats and without escorts, who drdwled
monotonously into each others ears
and convinced tie spectators at glance
that they were authors of books that
were never read and writers OF plays
that were never played. They
sneered at the Lnngtry from the moment
she stepped on the stage. Their YER
sions of "As In a Looking Glass
had evidently been rejected. 1t was
Ing crowd, but society was not there
was amused at the statement that
"the boxes were filed with the leaders
of New York society" which appeared
in the morning papers. All the papers
mentioned the fact that fashion and
society beamed from the boxes. In
sober truth there was rather droll and
extraordinary lot of people in the boxes.
One party consisted Of Edward Stokes,
who was tried for murder, and John
Stetson, who is in the pawnbrokerage
business. Another was Billy Conner,
| the hOrseman and hOtel-keeper, and
some ladies third was presided over
by n doctor of unpleasant eminence
/ fourth made up Of that clever woman
George Drew and her friends, while
man named Gilsey and public enter
tainer known as Marshall Wilder made
up the sum total of the LEADERS of
New York society" who greeted the
Lily. She never had much of hold
among the best people here, and it has
been growing feebler as years passed on.
TEE PLAY.
The play is very similar to the version
now being presented in London by Mrs.
Bernard Beere. 1t sticks 20 the novel
closely and makes the heroine, Lena
| Despard, an adventures of desperate
wicbodncss. In the version now being
presented at the Fifth-Avenue Theatre
the men make the hits. Mr.. Barry
more and Mr.. Robert billiard make a
notably handsome and striking pair.
TO the surprise Of every one Mr.. Hill
lard took the honors away from the
older actor. The women Of the com
pany are wrctchedly inadequate and
| hoppy. They are, without exception,
the least attractive looking collection
] ever saw, and they are pain
fully lacking in ability. Mrs. Lang
try. has surrounded herself with
women WHO are plain IN feature
aud WHO cannot act She hopes
TO shine 10y contrast. She does-as far
MS looks go.
Lena Desp9rd is supposed to be
sLrewd, taclul, brilliant, schcming, and
clever adventures. Mrs. Langtry
phys the character with about as much
delicscv. polish, and skill as an amiable
COW might lo expected 10 bring to the
practice Of poftrait-painting on porce-
lain. She is painful and sincere fail
urc, and TIE conviction is forced upon
the public and the critics that whatever
this handsome woman does well is the
result Of elaborate and iudefatig1ble
tutoring. The characters that have
been drilled and dunned into her she
plays w"U. In essaying new charac-
ter without having been Taught for
months end months by some such mas
ter Of BIS alt as Charles Coghlan she
falls to the stilted and awkward level
Of q raw but couceitcd amateur At
present Mrs. Langtry's comedy is ner-
vous, lcr pathos painfully absurd, and
her efforts at emotional acting silly,
stitcd, and bizarre.
FINANcmE or BLOOD AND IRON.
"Do you know thatman over there?"
asked broker in Dolmonico's the other
day. lie indicated o large man with a
German cast Of features quietly taking
lbs lunch 1t one Of the small marble
topped tables on the first floor Of Del |
moDico's Broad street establishment. 1t
is here that brokers and financiers come +.
for Tasty lunch when they have no |
time for a more leisurely rcpast up /
stairs. Crowds are constantly surging /
through from Broad to New street,
either making the long tasseliated room |
Il public highway to the rear entrance /
OF the Stock Exchange, or stopping at /
the bar, or standing in a long row at /
the lunch-counter, or chatting at /
the cigar-stand, or eagerly watch
ing the stock-indicGtOr. In the !
rush and hustle of the crowd the |
heayy-faccd German at one of the lit /
tie sidc-tables would hardly have been |
noticed. A glance showed him to DC |
ole who is known on two continents as
au intrepid financior. 1t Was Henry
Willard. Iublic attention has again
been drawn TO him from the fact that
he has again become n director in the
Northern Pacific railroad. He is ma
tive of Bavaria and is now about fifty
wears Of age. He came to this country
some years before the war and went
west, where he became connected with !
q German newspaper. He Is one OF a
uumbef of journalists who have won
celebrity in finance. jay Gould as a
boy had some connection with journal
ism. The Hon S. V. White used to be
q reporter ON st. Louis journal !
James r. Keene was the editor of g
California newspaper, and Others Of a
lesser decree Of financial fame have
furnished "copy as reporters for that
Unsuitable monster the newspaper
press.
HIS REAL NAME.
Henry Willard real name is Helm
rich Hilgarde. On entering the Union |
army at the outbreak OF the war mis-
take was made in entering his name.
TherecrmtiDg- sergeant understood him |
to give it as Willard instead of Hilgarde. !
The name Heinrich could of course be /
very correctly anglicized as Henry, and /
finding himself entered as Willard he |
thereafter retained that name. 1t re-
calls the fact that L. s. Grant was u. |
II. Grant until the congressman who Sc
cured his appointment as a cadet at
West Point changed the Initials by a
mistake in making out the necessary
papers. There has been some gossip,
to Mr.. Wizards detriment, growing
out Of this change of name, but /
there was no sinister reason for the
alteration and no romance can be built
upon 1t. Subsequently he became q
war correspondent for New York eve